Virtual Environment For Critical Incident Response Training

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for critical incident response training are disclosed. A method of prompting a user of a computing device to choose how a user avatar should interact with a three-dimensional virtual environment in response to a critical incident includes displaying the three-dimensional virtual environment on a display device. The three-dimensional virtual environment graphically represents a physical environment. The method further includes displaying the user avatar that represents the user on a display device. The user avatar is positioned in the three-dimensional virtual environment. The method further includes simulating the critical incident in the three-dimensional virtual environment, and prompting the user to choose how the user avatar should interact with the three-dimensional virtual environment in response to the simulated critical incident.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 374,808, entitled “Virtual Environment for Critical Incident Response of Lockdown Procedures,” filed Aug. 18, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]The present invention relates to systems and methods for virtual environments for critical incident response training and / or lockdown procedures.[0004]2. Technical Background[0005]A critical incident may be defined as a serious situation that can occur at any institution, e.g. a bomb threat, an armed person, an assault, a biohazardous spill, an animal rights protest or damaging activities of research labs, civil disobedience, an electrical outage, a fire or an explosion, a gas leak, winter weather storms (and other natural disasters), infectious diseases, computer failure leading to loss of building operations (e.g., air exchange, heating, water unavailability), a terrorist threat, a suicide, or a sexu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]In another embodiment, a system for prompting a user to choose how a user avatar should interact with a three-dimensional virtual environment in response to a critical incident includes a computing device including a non-transitory memory component that stores a set of executable instructions that causes the computing device to display the three-dimensional virtual environment on a display device. The three-dimensional virtual environment graphically represents a physical environment. The set of executable instructions further cause the computing device to display the user avatar that represents the user on a display device. The user avatar is positioned in the three-dimensional virtual environment. The set of executable instructions further cause the computing device to simulate the critical incident in the three-dimensional virtual environment and prompt the user to choose how the user avatar should interact with the three-dimensional virtual environment in response to the simulated critical incident.

Problems solved by technology

A lockdown may occur if a critical incident makes it unsafe to evacuate or enter a building.

Although many employees may be generally aware of these types of situations, most are not properly trained as to what to do when a critical incident occurs and may not understand the critical incident response procedures, including potential lockdown procedures.

Many classrooms do not have a communication device that can be used to relay information to security, fire, or other emergency response team members.

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